


Who Would Ever Want to be King?

by C4pricornC4ts



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Eret overthinks a lot, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Isolation, They just farm at a castle cmon, Wilbur is the villian here, he also adopted two kids, they decided to run away at the bench, young tommy and tubbo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:00:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27464575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C4pricornC4ts/pseuds/C4pricornC4ts
Summary: Eret has long decided that his loneliness is worth never hurting people again. He ruined his family, he wouldn't ruin anyone else's.And so he lived on, and he lived on alone.----------Or; two children escape a war that was never theirs to fight and find themselves right where they belong.
Comments: 31
Kudos: 293





	1. "Thanks, or something."

**Author's Note:**

> Some details about this AU; Five years ago, Eret betrayed L'manberg and became king. People can re-spawn but it is painful and leaves scars. If you have questions about this au leave a comment pls! It'll help both of us
> 
> Warnings: Minor Descriptions of Injury, Blood

Eret lived alone. And not the kind of alone that a hermit or a loner might enjoy, he lived alone not by preference but forced to by his terrible choices. 

Betraying the only people who stood by you tends to cause one to find oneself alone. He earned this crown through blood, but not by his bloodline. 

Eret Rivera was king, and Eret Rivera was lonely. 

He wasn't in complete isolation these past five years, the occasional traveler would stop for the night and tell him stories of the world and update him on the affairs of all the neighboring kingdoms. 

He heard of every war, he learned of a place called Pogtopia and how L’manberg and been renamed ‘Manberg’ under new rule. 

Sometimes when he hears of these issues, he feels grateful to be alone. He was tired of hurting people, of getting children involved in wars they were too young to understand. 

When he betrayed his country, he betrayed war. Becoming a king with nothing to offer but shelter for the wary. 

Eret has long decided that his loneliness is worth never hurting people again. He ruined his family, he wouldn't ruin anyone else's. 

And so he lived on, and he lived on alone.

He's lying down on his silk sheets, reading by candlelight when it happens. It was storming out, the rain pouring in sheets with the occasional rolls of thunder. Perfect for reading. Not so perfect if you’re outside however. 

"Tommy?! Oh God, Tommy?" Someone shrieks from the woods outside. They sound young, and more importantly they sound scared.

Eret snaps the book closed and hurries outside, not caring about his pajamas or the fact he had no shoes on, only grabbing his sword before rushing out the door to find the source.

"Hello?" he calls out. The rain made it almost impossible to see anything. He had to hope someone would reply. 

He hears someone gasp, and then the rustle of leaves over the constant downpour. The people were scared of him. 

"I'm here to help, this is not enemy territory you've found yourself in." He makes a show of lowering the sword, in case the person could see him.

A few moments later, he sees a brunette in a green shirt step out from the cover of the forest. He looks young, no older than 12. But his body was battered like that of a soldier. 

Eret felt sick. He knew the people in that war, either side would've had no qualms with children fighting their battles. He probably was a soldier. 

"Help him, please. H-he's not waking up I don't-" The boy is out of breath, even through the rain the king can tell he's been sobbing. 

"Take me to him then." He steps forwards, the sword forgotten behind him. There were more important things than a weapon right now. 

The boy jerks his head in a nod and starts to walk back into the woods, before long he is brought behind a bush where he sees another boy lying down. His clothes soaked through and his blond hair stuck to his forehead by the rain. 

Upon further inspection, he realized the boy was bleeding from a gash on his forehead. It was getting washed away by the rain but there was so much blood it was still noticeable. 

That, Eret decided, was definitely not a good sign. 

The boy was small, not as small as his friend but still easy enough for Eret to pick up. So he does. Cradling his head gently to avoid further injury. 

He turns to the other boy. "We need to get him inside, are you alright?" 

The other nods in response, but Eret wasn't expecting anything more. He was shaking so badly he was afraid the younger boy would collapse.

He carries the unconscious boy out of the forest and right through the castle doors. Only glancing back to check on how the other was doing. 

He lays the blond down on his bed, and gestures for the other to sit down on the left side. 

He'd prepare another room for them soon, but for now he tries not to think about how his sheets were getting ruined by all the blood and dirt. 

"What happened?" He was wrapping the gash on the side of the boy's head as they spoke. 

"Tommy, he and-and I-- we, we uh well he- h-he tripped and- is he gonna be okay?"

"He's gonna be alright. You're gonna be alright too." The poor kid was scared out of his mind even now that he was getting help. Eret wanted to reassure him, even if he had to make promises he wasn't sure he could keep. 

"Tubbo. I-I'm Tubbo. And thank you." The boy smiles but doesn't look up at Eret. Just continues to watch as the bandages wrapped around Tommy slowly turn red. 

He goes over to his dresser and gives Tubbo a pair of dry clothes. Before going over to figure out how to get Tommy in something dry before they're dealing with more than a head injury. Tubbo changes quickly and goes to put his clothes on the porch outside the room. 

"Are you twins?" Besides their age, they don't really seem to have much in common. Tommy was blond and tall with sharper features than the usual ten year old. Tubbo was short and had brown hair with much softer features. He knows there are thousands of more important questions he needs to and should ask the pair, but those can wait till after the storm. 

"No, he's my best friend. I'm from Manberg he's- well he's not. He's from somewhere else I don't-" Eret's eyes darkened. His heart hurts to realize these were children who didn't even know where they were from anymore. He doesn't think he wants to let these two go back to that mess. 

"Come help me lift him up, we need to get him in something dry." Tubbo does, he hesitantly takes Tommy's shoulder and helps Eret put a new, much warmer shirt on him. The blond stays dead to the world, which really wasn't good. 

They lay him back down and Eret quickly finishes swapping his clothes. Tossing them on the porch with less care than Tubbo had previously shown. 

He grabs a spare blanket from under the bed and drapes it around Tubbo's shaking shoulders. Before pulling up a chair beside Tommy for him. 

"I'll watch him, you lie down alright? You don't have to sleep but just relax or your body won't warm up." He can't stand seeing the poor boy shake anymore. Children shouldn't suffer like this. He won't let them get hurt anymore.

"What's your name?" The boy lies down on Tommy's right side and props the pillow up so he's facing the king. 

"Eret. I’m a king of some sort, I’m not sure if your kingdoms still speak of me.” 

“Sometimes Fundy says your name, only when he thinks no one's listening though. Why?” 

“I did something bad, I hurt a lot of people. But that’s the past, and everyday I’m trying to make up for it.” 

“Once you’re forgiven you don’t need to keep making up for it though.” His eyes close, he’s struggling to stay awake. 

“I wasn’t forgiven unfortunately.” He whispers, afraid his voice might waiver if he said it any louder. 

“I think Fundy would, he really seems to miss you.” The boy yawns, and this time let’s himself fall asleep. 

Eret picks back up his book and settles into the chair behind him. Prepared for a long night. He knows head injuries can be tricky. He’s not so sure he should be letting Tommy sleep right now, but he didn’t have the heart to put the boy through the pain of being awake with this injury. 

Around 2 am, Tommy wakes up with a gasp. He tries to sit up to which Eret responds with a hand pushing against his chest. Stopping him from affecting his injury. 

“Who the hell are you?” The boy glares at Eret, but thankfully doesn’t try to sit up. 

He’s taken aback by how bold the boy is, he wasn’t expecting it after how timid Tubbo had been. Perhaps that’s how the two survived this long. The mean one to get them into trouble, the quiet one to get them out of it.

“I’m someone who is trying to help you. Tubbo’s right there, he’s fine too.” Tommy can’t really turn his head that way and still be lying down so he reaches out and grabs Tubbo’s hand before lifting it up, checking that it's him. Eret assumes it is as Tommy sets down the hand and sighs. 

“Thanks, or something.” He grumbles and before Eret could respond he’s already out again. 

Eret runs a hand down his face and laughs to himself, what exactly had he just gotten himself into?


	2. Daisy the Moobloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo meets a moobloom, Tommy is kind of an asshole.

At some point Eret must've dozed off because he wakes up to Tubbo almost on top of him and poking him gently, blue eyes framed by messy brown hair looking down at him. 

“Good morning?” He laughs before leaning forward to check on a still sleeping Tommy. The sunrise was starting to fill the room with golden light, he hoped it wouldn’t wake the injured boy. Head injuries always lingered, at least the side effects do. 

He replaces the bandages on Tommy’s forehead while Tubbo watches apprehensively. He was bouncing slightly which was shaking the bed. 

“That can’t be good for Tommy” Eret murmurs, before deciding he needs to get Tubbo to stop. “What’s on your mind?” 

The boy stops bouncing, he freezes like a deer in headlights. “I don’t know?” He tilts his head and looks apologetic about it. 

“What do you think about breakfast?” 

“What about Tommy?”

“We’ll make him some too.” The king walks over to the door, turning to wait on Tubbo to climb down the bed and join him. Both were still in their pajamas, but that could be fixed later. 

They decide on pancakes, Tubbo insisting on getting all the ingredients out himself. Except the eggs. Eret didn’t want to clean up a dropped egg right now. Or ever really.

Tubbo’s watching Eret mix everything together, his head pressed against the wood and his arm laying across the table as far as he could reach. “Where do you get all this? It’s not exactly like you have a market around here.” 

“I farm for myself. It’s not too difficult to feed one person.” He puts another pancake on the stack and pours one more. 

“Will we make it difficult?” He whispers. 

“Not if I put you two to work.” He waits for Tubbo to complain at even the mention of work but the boy seems completely nonchalant and just plays with his sleeve. 

By ‘work’ Eret means feeding the cows and collecting eggs from the chickens. And even though the definition of ‘work’ for a kid raised in the middle of a war must be a lot more dangerous and draining, Tubbo doesn’t argue at all. 

“I don’t think Tommy can do much yet.” He sits up in his chair as Eret brings over two plates of pancakes and a jar of syrup. 

“You’re right. Which is why me and you will go out today, Tommy needs to rest.” 

“What will we do?” He’s eating very messily but he supposes they could talk about manners a different day. For now he just hands him a dish towel. 

“How do you feel about mooblooms?” 

Tubbo drops his fork and yells with excitement. Eret flinches at the noise but smiles nonetheless. 

After Tubbo brings Tommy a slightly smaller portion of breakfast, (As Eret was fairly confident he wasn’t going to be up for eating today and just didn’t want to tell Tubbo no to giving his friend something.) They head through the wooden door that leads to the courtyard. 

He calls it a courtyard but really it’s much bigger than a courtyard and houses a lot of animals and plants. He tries to keep it at least a little nice, evidenced by the hyacinth hanging from the columns. They were all the same deep blue color, and everywhere he could hang them he did. 

Tubbo walks right up to the cows who have free range of the yard. Eret lets him play around with the dandelion covered cow as he knows that she wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

“What’s her name?” Tubbo calls to him from where he’s getting water out of the well. 

He picks up the bucket, pouring the contents into the watering can. “They don’t have names Tubbo.” He doesn’t mean to sound so blunt but he’s pretty inexperienced with people. 

“Well I think she looks like Daisy. Can we name her that? Please? I think she’d really appreciate it if she had a name.” He has his arms wrapped around the cow’s neck, and his head is buried in her side while she eats grass like nothing is happening at all. 

Eret decides not to comment on the fact that it’s a bit silly to name a cow covered in dandelions a different flower name. It didn’t matter that much anyways, and he’s gotta admit, she does look like a Daisy. “Sure, I like it, ‘Daisy the Moobloom’. Now can you go get some hay for them? She and her friends need to eat too.” 

He points to the bales of hay in the back of the cow’s shelter and Tubbo hurries to get some. Eret finishes watering all the flowers and is moving on to the crops and Tubbo is laughing as all the cows surround him trying to get some hay when they’re interrupted by a door opening. 

“What are you two doing without me? I don’t want to be alone anymore. It's really, really boring.” Eret looks up to see Tommy leaning over his bedroom balcony, his blond hair covering most of his face as he looks down. 

“Tommy, you fell! You’re supposed to be bored because if something exciting happens and then your head will hurt again!” Tubbo shouts up at him, on his tiptoes as if that’ll help his voice carry. 

Eret thinks Tubbo’s voice didn’t need any help, the boy was very polite but he was also very loud. He’s thankful the boy is though, or Eret might not have found them in the woods. 

“My head is fine!” He whines dramatically. 

“I really don’t think it is Tommy, you were bleeding and shit.” 

“Language!” 

“Sorry Eret! You were bleeding and STUFF.” He corrects himself. 

Tommy runs back inside and moments later is out in the courtyard himself. Eret’s impressed he found the door that quickly, but who knows, maybe Tubbo had explored the castle after Eret went to bed last night. 

“You really should rest Tommy, you were out cold last night.” 

“I don’t need another adult in my life telling me what to do. If I wanted that I would be with Wilbur still.” He brushes past Eret pointedly knocking into his shoulder. 

“Well, if your head starts hurting again you tell me okay?” 

“Whatever.” Tommy dismisses him before going and trying to jump the chicken fence, keyword trying. The blond seems to go still and doesn’t even try to finish pulling himself over. Eret drops the watering can and rushes over to catch him. 

“Alright that’s it you’re going back to bed.” Eret drags him to his feet and leans over to support the boy’s weight. 

“No I-I’m fucking fine y-you bitch.” The king bites back a smile at the boy’s weak attempt at an insult while concussed. He supposes he should be more upset with all the attitude he’s been shown but really, it’s worth having some company. 

They keep walking towards the doors back inside, and Tommy keeps digging his heels in the grass and trying to turn back. Looking at Tubbo like he’ll never see the other again. Eret sighs, he wasn’t heartless enough to separate them if Tommy was going to look that broken about it. 

“Tubbo, I’ll finish up out here. Can you go sit with Tommy for a bit?” The boy looks so happy with the animals he really hates taking him back inside. But he had a feeling Tommy wasn’t going to stay in the bedroom unless Tubbo’s there too. 

He passes Tommy to Tubbo carefully since Tommy was a bit taller than his friend. “I don’t need to go inside. You’re being ridiculous.” He argues the whole way but never once tries to stop Tubbo physically. Eret supposes the arguing was more of a defensive thing. 

Eret finishes up with the animals and spends the rest of the day checking the castle over after the storm last night. He goes in before dinner and prepares the room next to the one Tommy and Tubbo have taken over. The whole time he doesn’t hear a word from the other room. Hopefully they’re both resting and haven’t just run off. 

It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s done that. And Eret can’t really think of why people do, he’s really just trying to help. 

He washes their clothes and tries not to fall asleep when he hangs everything up to dry. The sun had been mostly covered by clouds, making the whole castle overcast. Maybe he should go out and buy some lights.   
The problem is that would mean finding a market, which means finding a village and villages well, those have people. More people than the king wants to be around. 

He starts a fire under the stove, it’s perhaps a little early to start dinner but who’s counting? He reaches for the steak he has stored away but pauses when he remembers how enamored Tubbo was with the mooblooms. 

Chicken it is then. 

“Don’t you ever get tired of only blue flowers?” Eret jumps and turns around, holding out a wooden spoon. He sets it down on the counter next to him when he sees it’s just Tubbo. He had to get used to extra people. Or Tubbo had to stop coming up behind him. They both make a mental note to work on it. 

He turns back around, stirring the contents in the pot. “Do you think they look bad?” 

“Well, they look nice really they do! It just feels… sad.”

He wants to just tell the boy that’s the point, they’re supposed to be sad. But he can’t bring himself to talk about it. 

“I saw pink flowers in the woods, I could plant them here if you want.” Tubbo sounds hopeful, trying to pass off wanting pink flowers as something for Eret only. 

“I’d love that Tubbo. But not tonight alright? If Tommy sees you out there he’ll want to go too.” Tubbo makes an excited noise behind him and climbs the counter to Eret’s right. Leaning over the pot to look inside. Flinching when the steam hits his face. 

Eret covers the pot and nudges Tubbo away, worried his hands would get burned. “It’s chicken and vegetables, I hope that’s alright.” 

Tubbo nods quickly, and sits further back on the counter. Content to be near the stove fire as it gets colder in the castle. And the king is perfectly happy to have company. Even if said company almost falls off the counter several times before the soup is done. 

Tubbo keeps talking about what he wants to name every cow as Eret pulls out a ladle and dishes out three bowls of the chicken soup. Placing them on a plastic tray before interrupting Tubbo’s rant. “We’re going to eat with Tommy, I need you to knock for me okay? My hands are... “ He tilts his head towards the tray in both his hands. “full.” 

“Can we eat on the bed?” 

Eret nods and laughs and starts walking up the castle steps towards the bedroom. Tubbo knocks on the wooden door. “Tommy? We brought dinner, are you awake?” 

“Go away.” 

Tubbo exchanges a confused look with Eret and tries to open the door. After a few attempts, they realize it’s locked. Eret didn’t even know his door still did that. 

“Tommy please? What about me?” Tubbo sounds a little hurt that his friend would treat him so harshly especially without any reason. 

The door unlocks with a click and is opened just enough for tiny hands to grab Tubbo by the collar of his shirt and yank him in the room. Tubbo squeaks in surprise and the door slams right in Eret’s face. 

Eret keeps staring at the door, confused at what just happened when the door opens yet again and Tommy grabs two of the bowls before dashing back inside. He hears Tubbo whisper through the door. “He said he doesn’t wanna eat with a grownup. I’m sorry Eret but you fit that criteria I think.” 

Well, he guesses he’ll go eat alone. Not like he hasn’t done that before. 

Neither boy comes out of the room the rest of the night, so Eret tells them he’s next door before just settling in for the night. His books we’re all in the occupied room so he opts to just go to bed early. 

For the second night in a row, he’s woken up by a scream. He watches as someone throws his door open and then slams it closed, leaning their whole body against it and panting heavily. The king sits up and tries to wake up enough for his eyesight to clear. “Tommy?” 

“P-please don’t let Wilbur take me. I’m sorry I’m such a-an asshole.” The boy’s voice wobbles, and he sounds like he’s about to cry. 

The words prompt Eret to jump out of bed and go pull Tommy away from the door. He wants to say it’s a bad dream but if the blond was this scared, maybe Wilbur really was here. 

He remembers Wilbur being a good man, a leader who always had photos of his son and talked about his brothers from a different realm often. He never thought anyone would be closing doors in his face. Though, he never thought he’d betray his country either. 

He sets Tommy on his bed and checks the hallway. There’s no one out there. It must have been a nightmare. He feels his arm being grabbed and turns back towards the bedroom to a very nervous Tommy trying to get him back in the room. 

He obliges and closes the door, figuring out how to lock it tiredly while Tommy clung to him. 

“Tommy, no ones out there. And even if there was, you’re safe here. I wouldn’t let anyone take you.” He’s holding the boy, surprised that he’s not being pushed away or sworn at. 

“What about Tubbo?” 

“I'll protect him too.” He confirms, gently carding his hands through the boy’s messy hair. Something he remembers people doing to him long ago. 

“I’m sorry.” He says between sobs, and Eret just keeps whispering “It’s okay.” back. 

They stay standing together like that till Eret is too tired to hold them both up and sits up against the headboard with some difficulty since Tommy does not want to let go. 

Tommy is only occasionally sniffling when Eret starts to drift off. Barely even noticing the bed dip when Tubbo goes and curls up next to the pair. 

Eret wraps an arm around Tubbo too before finally going back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr/Wattpad/Ao3: c4pricornc4ts 
> 
> Should I do the mcyt advent challenge? I'd probably only do a few days but it might be fun. :0

**Author's Note:**

> Ao3/Wattpad/Tumblr: C4pricornC4ts  
> Twitter:@QUACKITWT


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